Self-adjusting crimping tool



Nov. 9, 1965 J. BATCHELLER 3,216,100

SELF-ADJUSTING CRIMPING TOOL Filed Jan. 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. KENT J. BATCHELLER hm MW ATTORNEYS Nov. 9, 1965 K. J. BATCHELLER 0 SELF-ADJUSTING CRIMPING TOOL Filed Jan. 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR. KENT J. BATCHELLER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,216,160 SELF-ADJUSTING CRIMPING TOOL Kent J. Batcheller, Newton, Mass., assign'or to The Thomas & Betts (:03, Inc., Elizabeth, N..I., a corporation of New .lersey Filed Jan. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 165,886 (Ilaims. (Cl. 29-282) This invention relates to a power-driven tool for simultaneously performing two shaping operations such as crimping the wire-gripping portions of an electric connector or the like around the bared end of an insulated wire and around the insulation adjacent to the bared end. Electric connectors such, for example, as the one illustrated in U. S. Patent No. 2,825,883, are usually made with laterally extending ears to be curled around the end portion of a wire to which the connector is to be attached. Insulated wires for such connectors come in various sizes, i.e., diameters, and have insulation thereon of various thicknesses so that the outside diameters of the insulation differ. It is desirable to have a machine which can crimp two ears of a connector tightly around the bared end portion of a wire having a diameter within a reasonable range (e.g., 12 to 20 gauge), which includes the diameters of practically all wires customarily employed with the type of connectors referred to, and will crimp other ears of the connector about the insulated portion of the wire next to the bared end. For this purpose, machines have been made which can be quickly adjusted to crimp ears properly about a wire of any diameter within a reasonable range and about the insulated portion next to the bared end.

According to the present invention, a machine is provided having tools adapted to adjust themselves automatically to crimp ears of electric connectors about wires of various diameters and about insulation of various outside diameters. As hereinafter described in detail, the two crimping tools that operate simultaneously to crimp ears around the wire and to crimp adjacent ears around the insulation are pressed downward by a rockable member parts of which bear directely on the top ends of the respective tools, the rockable member itself being pushed downward by a power press. If the difference between the outside diameters of a bared wire and the insulation next to it varies, the rockable member rocks to adjust the strokes of the two tools in accordance with the diameter difference of the wire to which a connector is being attached. If the diameters of the wire and insulation are larger than the minimum for which the machine is made, the press yields slightly, a stiflly yielding element being incorporated in the press for this purpose.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawings, of which FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a crimping machine to be actuated by a power press (not shown);

FIGURE 2 is in an exploded perspective view of the plunger and tools carried thereby;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURES 4, 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary elevational views on an enlarged scale, showing the rocker and tools in different positions of self-adjustment.

The crimping machine shown in FIGURES 1 and 3 comprises a base 10 on which is an upright frame 12 including a housing 14 in which a plunger 16 is slidably fitted for vertical movement. The plunger 16 has an arm 18 extending outwardly and downwardly to rock a disk 20 mounted on the frame 12 when the plunger reciprocates. The rocking movement of the disk 20 reciprocates a pawl 22 carried thereby to feed successive connector members 24 (FIGURE 3) along the base 10 into position to be crimped.

Mounted on the base 10 under the plunger 16 is an anvil 26 to support the work piece 24 for the crimping operation and to cooperate with two crimping tools 30, 32 which are carried by the plunger 16 directly over the anvil to perform two simultaneous shaping operations such as crimping or curling the cars which are portions of an electric connector. The tools each have a vertical slot 34 through which extends a horizontal pin 36 projecting from the plunger 16 to support the tools but to permit limited vertical movement of each tool relative to the plunger. The lower ends of the tools 30, 32 are shaped to engage and crimp the ears of an electric connector on the anvil 26. The inner face of the tool 30 bears against a vertical face 38 of the plunger and the tools are beneath an overhanging projection 40 of the plunger which is hollowed as at 42, part of the wall of the hollow being cylindrical for fitted engagement by a rocker member 44 which is partly cylindrical but has two contact elements 46, 48 which are arranged to bear respectively on the upper ends of the tools 30, 32 when the plunger is operated. The rocker 44 is held in place by a screw 50 on which is a compression spring 52 to press the rocker 44 inward so as to hold it in place while permitting it to rock about a horizontal axis.

When the machine is operated to crimp the ears of a connector 24 onto a wire and its insulation, the rocker member 40 rocks to adjust the contact elements 46, 48 to variations in the difference of sizes of the portions of work-pieces engaged by the respective tools. In the mechanism illustrated on the drawings this difference will be represented by the thickness of the insulation on the wire. The element 46 which bears on the top of the tool 30 is nearer the rocking axis of the rocker 44 than is the element 48 which bears on the top of the tool 32. Hence the tool 30 which crimps the wire-gripping portion of the connector is more strongly pressed than the tool 32 which crimps the insulation-gripping portion of the connector. If a relatively large wire W with thin insulation I is being operated on, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the rocker 44 rocks slightly counterclockwise. If the wire W is relatively small and the insulation I relatively thick, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, the rocker 44 rocks slightly clockwise. The machine is constructed or adjusted to operate satisfactorily on the smallest wire and thinnest insulation within the range for which it is designed, e.g., a small wire W and thin insulation I as shown in FIGURE 6. Since a larger size of wire or insulation, as in FIGURES 4 and 5, or larger sizes of both, as in FIGURE 7, means that the rocker 44 must yield slightly upward in addition to whatever rocking adjustment it makes, provision for such upward yielding is made by suitable spring connections with the power press. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, this may be in the form of a stack of Belleville Washers 60 bearing on a horizontal flange 62 at the lower end of a core 64 which is attached to the upper end of the plunger 16, the core and flange being an upward extension thereof. The washers 60 may conveniently be housed in a casing 66 through the bottom of which the plunger 16 extends loosely. The washers 60 are compressed between the flange 62 and an annular cover member 68 which is secured in the upper end of the casing 66 by a screw-threaded engagement or otherwise, this cover having a central opening large enough to accommodate the upper end of the core 64. When the power press pushes down on the cover 68, if the resistance of the crimping tools is excessive, the casing 66 can slide down the plunger 16 sufficiently to avoid damage to the mechanism.

I claim:

1. In a machine for performing two simultaneous shaping operations, a base, an anvil on said base, a plunger vertically reciprocable over said anvil, two shaping tools carried by said plunger and capable of limited vertical movement relative thereto and of vertical movement therewith into operative relation to said anvil for shaping work pieces, and a rocker member carried by said plunger and having two contact elements bearing on said tools respectively to transmit pressure from the plunger to the tools, said rocker member being rockable about a horizontal axis and the elements thereof being on opposite sides of a vertical plane through said axis, the rocking of said rocker member about said horizontal axis adjusting one of said contact elements in one direction with respect to the one of said shaping tools, upon which it bears and simultaneously adjusting the other of said contact element in the opposite direction with respect to the other of said shaping tools upon which it bears, whereby said rocker member rocks to adjust to variations in the difference between sizes of the portions of a work piece engaged by the respective tools.

2. In a machine for performing two simultaneous shaping operations, a base, an anvil on said base, a plunger vertically reciprocable over said anvil, stiffiy resilient yielding means upon the upper portion of said plunger engageable -by a descending member of the power 'press to transmit pressure to said plunger, two shaping tools carried by said plunger and capable of limited vertical movement relative thereto and of vertical movement therewith into operative relation to said anvil for shaping work pieces, and a rocker member carried by said plunger and having two contact elements bearing on said tools respectively to transmit pressure from the plunger to the tools, said rocker member being rockable about a horizontal axis and the elements thereof being on opposite sides of a vertical plane through said axis whereby said rocker member rocks to adjust to variations in the difference between sizes of the portions of a work piece engaged by the respective tools.

3. In a crimping machine for crimping the ears of electrical connectors around the bared end of insulated wires and about the insulation next to the bared end, a base, an anvil mounted on said base to support a connector, a plunger vertically reciprocable over said anvil, two crimping tools carried by said plunger and capable of limited vertical movement relative thereto, and a rocker member carried by said plunger above and in contact with the tops of said tools, said rocker member being rockable about a horizontal axis and having two elements bearing respectively on the tops of the two tools on opposite sides of a vertical plane through said rocking axis, the rocking of said rocker member about said horizontal axis adjusting one of said elements in one direction with respect to the one of said shaping tools, upon which it bears and simultaneously adjusting the other of said con- 4 tact elements in the opposite direction with respect to the other of said shaping tools upon which it bears, whereby said rocker member rocks to adjust the strokes of the respective tools to differences in the thickness of insulation on the Wires operated on.

4. In a crimping machine for crimping the ears of electrical connectors around the bared end of insulated wires and about the insulation next to the bared end, a base, an anvil mounted on said base to support a connector, a plunger vertically reciprocable over said anvil, stiffiy resilient yielding means upon the upper portion of said plunger for transmission of pressure thereto, two crimping tools carried by said plunger and capable of limited vertical movement relative thereto, and a rocker member carried by said plunger above and in contact with the tops of said tools, said rocker member being rockable about a horizontal axis and having two elements bearing respectively on the tops of the two tools on opposite sides of a vertical plane through said rocking axis whereby said rocker member rocks to adjust the strokes of the respective tools to differences in the thickness of insulation on the wires operated on.

5. In a crimping machine for crimping the ears of electrical connectors around the bared end of insulated wires and about the insulation next to the bared end, a base, an anvil mounted on said base to support a connector, a plunger vertically reciprocable over said anvil, stifliy resilient yielding means upon the upper portion of said plunger for transmission of pressure thereto, said yielding means including a series of Belleville washers surrounding the upper portion of said plunger, the lowermost washer of the series bearing upon the plunger, the uppermost washer of the series being arranged to be engaged by a pressure exerting member of the power press, two crimping tools carried by said plunger and capable of limited vertical movement relative thereto, and a rocker member carried by said plunger above and in contact with the tops of said tools, said rocker member being rockable about a horizontal axis and having two elements bearing respectively on the top of the two tools on opposite sides of a vertical plane through said rocking axis whereby said rocker member rocks to adjust the strokes of the respective tools to differences in the thickness of insulation on the wires operated on.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,037,545 6/62 Klinger et al. 153-1 3,115,922 12/63 Straubel 1531 FOREIGN PATENTS 563,832 1/58 Belgium.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR PERFORMING TWO SIMULTANEOUS SHAPING OPERATIONS, A BASE, AN ANVIL ON SAID BASE, A PLUNGER VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE OVER SAID ANVIL, TWO SHAPING TOOLS CARRIED BY SAID PLUNGER AND CAPABLE OF LIMITED VERTICAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO AND OF VERTICAL MOVEMENT THEREWITH INTO OPERATIVE RELATION TO SAID ANVIL FOR SHAPING WORK PIECES, AND A ROCKER MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID PLUNGER AND HAVING TWO CONTACT ELEMENTS BEARING ON SAID TOOLS RESPECTIVELY TO TRANSMIT PRESSURE FROM THE PLUNGER TO THE TOOLS, SAID ROCKER MEMBER BEING ROCKABLE ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS AND THE ELEMENTS THEREOF BEING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A VERTICAL PLANE THROUGH SAID AXIS, THE ROCKING OF SAID ROCKER MEMBER ABOUT SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS ADJUSTING ONE OF SAID CONTACT ELEMENTS IN ONE DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE ONE OF SAID SHAPING TOOLS, UPON WHICH IT BEARS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY ADJUSTING THE OTHER OF SAID CONTACT ELEMENT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER OF SAID SHAPING TOOLS UPON WHICH IT BEARS, WHEREBY SAID ROCKER MEMBER ROCKS TO ADJUST TO VARIATIONS IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIZES OF THE PORTIONS OF A WORK PIECE ENGAGED BY THE RESPECTIVE TOOLS. 